1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, to the incorporation of a latching system for a door of a range or under cabinet-type cooking appliance wherein a user can selectively lock an oven door independently from other operations of the appliance through a dedicated, electrically activated latching mechanism in order to at least prevent unauthorized opening of the oven door.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Manufactures have installed locks on oven doors of cooking appliances for some time. The function of such known locks is to prevent an untimely opening of the oven door, specifically during self-clean cycles. That is, the temperatures developed within an oven cavity during self-clean cycles are quite high such that locking arrangements are often employed to assure that the oven door is not inadvertently opened.
In one known form, a manually operated mechanical lever is employed which, when operated by a user, causes a locking mechanism to engage the oven door. While effective to a point, these locks do not prevent a user from prematurely opening the oven cavity, nor are they effective in preventing a child from opening the oven door at other times, particularly in view of the positioning of the lever at the front of the cooking appliance. Over time, manufacturers developed automatic locks, such as electrically actuated latching mechanisms, which function to secure an oven door during a self-cleaning operation. In general, these automatic locking arrangements are either time or temperature responsive. For instance, it is known to employ thermally responsive switches to cause a lock to disengage only after the temperature of the oven cavity drops below a predetermined level.
Although these known prior art arrangements are effective in preventing access to the oven cavity during self-clean modes of operation, they do not address the need to prevent the opening of an oven door at other times. That is, potential injuries stemming from accidents associated with cooking appliances are not limited to those resulting from the contact with hot surfaces. This is particularly true in the case of a slide-in range or an oven cavity positioned below a kitchen cabinet. That is, children being small in stature often seek creative means in which to access areas beyond their reach. As such, when a cooking appliance of this type is utilized, the oven door can be an attractive means for the child to use as a step in order to gain access to upper cabinetry or the like. Obviously, an oven door is not designed or intended for use in this fashion. To this end, the simple act of using the oven door as a step could result in an unfortunate accident. When a child""s weight is applied to the open door, the mechanical leverage developed could, conceivably, cause the entire appliance to tip over.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for a child-safe door latching mechanism for a cooking appliance, specifically a range or cooking appliance incorporating a rather low-lying oven cavity. More particularly, there exists the need for an oven door latching mechanism, preferably an electrically actuated latching mechanism, which can be readily controlled independently from other operations of the cooking appliance.
The present invention is directed to a child-safe door latching mechanism for a cooking appliance including an oven cavity which is at a relatively low level within a kitchen or other cooking area. That is, the cooking appliance includes an oven cavity having an open frontal portion which is arranged below a level of a countertop and a door which is movable between an open position for accessing the oven cavity and a closed position for essentially sealing off the cavity. In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the cooking appliance incorporates a self-cleaning feature and an electrically actuated latching mechanism which can function in two modes of operation. The first mode is defined by a self-clean mode in which the lock is engaged for preventing access to the oven cavity while the cooking appliance is performing a self-clean cycle. The second mode constitutes a manual mode in which a user can selectively activate the lock, thereby regulating permissible movement of the door.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an associated control is provided on a control panel arranged on an upper portion of the cooking appliance. The control, when operated, activates the locking mechanism, thereby selectively enabling a user to prevent movement of the door regardless of the operational state of the cooking appliance. In accordance with the most preferred form of the present invention, the cooking appliance incorporates a control panel, including a plurality of control elements, located on an upper portion of the appliance and preferably above the level of the countertop to enable a user to selectively operate various features of the cooking appliance. The control panel either incorporates a dedicated control element to activate the latching mechanism or a predetermined number of the plurality of control elements are programmed such that, in addition to their primary function, e.g., establishing cooking modes, times and/or temperatures associated with the cooking appliance, have a secondary function of activating the latching mechanism. That is, the secondary function serves to enable a manufacturer or user to program a series of buttons, the operation of which activates the latching mechanism. In other words, two or more dual function control buttons can be operated simultaneously or in a preprogrammed sequence to lock/unlock the oven door. In this manner, a child, unaware of the sequence and/or unable to simply reach the controls, will be prevented from any unauthorized opening of the oven door.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.